Maverick (Blank)
Chapter 20: Kaelan (7)
[Your father was a spy]
Blank jolted. His eyes widened completely when that sentence was uttered by Mr. Son. "Wait... What!?"
Mr. Son stood silent and upright. "That's the reality. At least be careful from now on."
Blank clutched his own head tightly. (Huh? Then the reason Father asked Grandpa not to search for my family is...) He shook his head. "Thank you, but I didn't come to learn about my father. I don't believe it."
Mr. Son stared sharply at Blank. Instantly, Blank's mind raced. Something occurred to him. "That means Brother Kaeri..."
"Correct."
Blank looked at him with constricted pupils. "Then where is he now?" Mr. Son folded his arms. "That's our secret."
Blank approached him with the corners of his eyes reddening. "Oh yeah? Tell me." Mr. Son smiled. "Join us."
Blank was instantly shocked. When Mr. Son asked him to join, it only had one meaning. "You mean? Become an agent?" Mr. Son nodded.
"No way." Even though his hands now trembled violently, Mr. Son sighed. "Then there's no answer."
Blank's eyes blinked rapidly. "Then why did you say I could die soon?" Mr. Son walked around the table. "Because you're here. Your father had many enemies, up to the biggest one in the parent organization family."
Blank furrowed his brow. "Huh? Why would I be in danger when it's my father who has many enemies?" Mr. Son glanced. "Your name, your last name is the same as your father's, right?"
Blank's heart felt like it stopped instantly. His eyes bulged, his legs weakened, and he lowered his head. (That means...) One thing he remembered was the sender's name on the letter to his grandfather.
[Age--Ardo Da-]
Blank closed his eyes. (I already know my father's full name for sure.) He raised his head again. "Then what should I do?"
Mr. Son raised the corners of his lips. He moved his right and left hands as if presenting choices.
"First, you can return to the village and forget everything—your family, your brother, your friends. Erase them."
Blank furrowed his brow. "And the second?"
Mr. Son grinned. "Join me."
A sentence that made his hair stand on end in a room that began to feel cold.
Blank turned his face away and stopped speaking for a moment. Cooling his thoughts and deciding. He bit the flesh inside his mouth. (This is a difficult choice. It's impossible for me to choose.)
Then Blank asked, "Tell me, who is threatening me?" Mr. Son pointed his finger upward. "First is Underring as a criminal organization with a system."
Blank sharpened his eyes. "First?" Mr. Son continued, "The main one is the parent organization family that oversees Underring. But they are very big, and their target is Leonardo, not you."
Blank's legs weakened instantly, and his mind was in chaos. He bit his finger. (I can't leave this city, but I also don't want to risk my own life.)
The situation fell silent for a full 5 minutes. Blank was still biting his finger, while Mr. Son waited with folded arms.
"So, which will you choose?"
Blank lowered his finger. With eyes full of conviction, he said, "I will choose option number 3."
Mr. Son raised his right eyebrow. "Hmm?" Blank looked at the old man. "You said the similarity between me and my father is only in the last name." Mr. Son held his chin, smiling, and Blank continued, "Then I will stay here with a hidden name."
Mr. Son laughed loudly. "Hahaha, you really are Leonardo's child." He ruffled Blank's hair. "But that means your safety and your death are both 50%."
Blank clenched his hands and released them. With sharp eyes, he insisted, "I will fight using my own way."
Mr. Son smiled and stroked his hair. "You've grown up, Kaelan." Even so, Blank didn't fully believe it, but the threat would always be in his mind. "Then the answer is clear. I will leave."
Blank left the old man alone in his room. "Thank you for the warning." Blank waved his hand, and Mr. Son raised his.
Blank went to the elevator and pressed the button to go down to the lower floor. Even so, Blank immediately grabbed his own hair. (Damn! What kind of life is this?)
Blank punched the elevator glass and bumped his forehead against the side. (Damn! What does all this mean?)
Blank leaned his body and head back. (Brother Kaeri. Father. What's really going on with you all?)
Blank's teeth were clearly visible, veins showing on his hands. After the elevator doors opened, he stepped out of the apartment with weak legs.
From above, Mr. Son watched him, standing in front of the glass wall. "Kaelan, whether you like it or not, you will become an agent eventually."
Mr. Son turned his back. "Your father's legacy has fallen to you, and you must resolve it, or all this will spread to innocent people."
Mr. Son held his own shoulder. "This is just the first phase. I'll make that child afraid and determined to join here, no matter what it takes."
On the other side, Blank was already on a sidewalk somewhat far from the apartment. He hailed a taxi, and coincidentally, his phone notification sounded. Blank opened it. His eyebrows raised after seeing the sent message.
[Unknown Number]
[Excuse me, Mr. Kaelan. I am Miss Erna, Viera's manager. We are offering a collaboration as the main media for Viera as the Brand Ambassador for the NGNL Collaboration Event from January 1-7, 2026. Please send a follow-up message if you want more details.]
Blank sighed. (This is 3 weeks from now?) But his eyes looked at the sky. (But I have to hide my last name?) Blank slapped his cheek. (But Mr. Son said my father has problems with criminal organizations.) He shook his head. (But this is a great opportunity. I wonder why Viera is recruiting me? Aren't we not close? Or maybe...)
With slightly trembling fingers, he began typing a message.
[Good evening. May I know more details?]
[Typing...]
"Go away!"
Blank's attention was diverted by a child being chased by two men behind him.
"Huh?" Blank was startled, and with reflex, he hurried to see the incident happening near an alley. An alley with cables above and the fishy smell of trash around. Blank peeked.
The brash kid stood and shouted, "Get out of the way! I don't want to work!"
"You stubborn brat, what's so hard about obeying!"
"Hey, you take 80% of my earnings. That's not fair!"
The man scratched his forehead. "Oh dear, this is so your debt gets paid off quickly." The kid protested, "But I've been working for years!"
Blank watched seriously. (What's with them?)
"Hey, kid, just beg! What's so hard about that!"
Blank jolted in surprise. (Begging?)
"I'm sick of working with you!"
Blank looked at the kid's clothes: plastic red and white clothes like Santa Claus. (That's why his clothes are weird this month.)
"Hey!!"
Blank was scared half to death. A loud voice from behind his body made him fall and get caught by the two men in front of him.
Blank crawled weakly, his hands trembling. "Oh... hehe... good evening, sirs."
The mustached man in a brown leather jacket who had shouted earlier emerged from the darkness where Blank had passed. "Idiot underlings! This kid was eavesdropping and you didn't notice?"
The two men bowed their heads. "Ah, sorry, boss."
The boss stroked his mustache. "Then what do we do with this kid? It could be dangerous if he talks anywhere."
Blank ran out of ideas now. Only one word flashed in his mind. Blank stood up and said, "I will become a beggar!"
The two men laughed. The boss scratched his neck. "Someone like you wants to beg? Look at your size."
The boss approached Blank and spoke right to his face. "But his face is handsome. Might earn more money." The boss's two underlings kept laughing at his words.
(They are so noisy. I have to find a way.) Blank thought of one idea that might work.
Suddenly...
"HEY, WHO'S THAT!" Blank shouted while pointing behind the boss.
The boss glanced behind to see what Blank meant.
"Hey, there's a white figure behind you two!"
Blank's words made the two men startled, and one of them clung to his friend's body, causing them to lose balance and fall. Unfortunately, a nearby trash can also fell onto their faces.
Blank immediately carried the little kid and ran quickly.
The boss glanced. "Hey, they're escaping!"
"Get up, idiots! Why are you sleeping with trash masks!?"
The two men immediately got up, but one of them slipped on a banana peel as he stood, and the foot of one underling swung toward the boss's crotch.
Thwack.
"Oww... You bastard underling..." The boss sprawled on the ground.
While the two underlings tried to help the boss up while apologizing, this was Blank and the kid's chance to escape.
On the other side, a taxi driver was already waiting at the pickup point.
"Where's the person who ordered? No one's here..."
The taxi driver's attention was caught by a young man carrying a small kid and putting him in the taxi.
"Hey, who are you?"
"As per the app, sir."
"Oh, you're the one who ordered?"
"Hurry, drive."
"Oh, yes, yes."
The taxi driver started the car and stepped on the gas quickly.
The two underlings with their slightly limping boss watched the incident and could only stand still, watching the taxi drive away.
"Well, boss, that kid's gone."
The boss took a shoe and hit the head of the underling who spoke.
Whack.
One hit landed on the underling's head. "Your fault!"
"Sorry, boss..."
On the other side, inside the taxi, Blank and the kid finally felt free and calm in the passenger seat. But the kid asked, "Bro, where are you taking me?"
Blank glanced at him. "Just follow me."
"But, bro, my place is..."
"Just be quiet."
The driver who heard this widened his eyes in the mirror. "Hey! If this is a kidnapping, I'll report to the police!"
"No, sir, it's a misunderstanding."
"Hey, kid, do you know the teenage boy beside you?"
"No, sir."
"See! This is kidnapping!"
Blank sighed heavily. He glanced at the street through the car window.
"Alright then, sir. Let's go to the police station."
"Huh!?"
The taxi driver took them to the police station. He scratched his head where it didn't itch, watching Blank lead the kid.
"Wait here, sir. I'll give you a tip later."
His eyebrow twitched. "How can there be a kidnapper admitting to the police? Times have changed, huh?"
Blank entered the station, told about the earlier incident, and accompanied the little kid sitting with the police officer in front of him who was preparing writing tools. The officer asked him, "Kid, what's your name?"
Innocently. "Lucky."
"Age?"
"Eleven."
"11 years old, huh. Parents?"
Lucky shook his head.
"How long have you been working under them?"
The kid showed three fingers to the police officer sitting across from him.
"3 years!?" The officer clenched his joined hands. "Why were you working there?"
"My parents had debt and disappeared. I was told to pay it off."
His answer made the officer's head ache inside. The officer looked at Blank.
"Mr. Kaelan, we will process this child to an orphanage. May I have your contact?"
"Of course, sir."
After finishing, Blank was seen leaving the station alone and returning to the taxi.
The driver watched him. "Huh? Why are you alone? Not in jail?"
Blank held his forehead tightly. (I'm dizzy. Tired. Want to rest quickly.) Blank entered the passenger seat. "To the original destination, sir."
The driver looked left and right with a full expression of bewilderment. "Oh... yes, yes..." He continued, "Kid, you just went to the police station, right?"
Blank yawned. "Yes."
"I'm amazed. My neighbor stole a chicken and got 3 years in prison. How come a kid kidnapper can still survive—"
Blank closed his eyes and snored.
"How rude! Talking to you and you fall asleep!"
Blank slept until they arrived at his rental. "Hey, kid, we're here." Blank's eyes opened halfway, and he rubbed them. "Thank you, sir..." Blank immediately left the driver.
The driver glared with clenched fists. "He said he'd give a tip..." His body began to tremble, and his teeth showed.
"You damn brat!"
Blank immediately flopped onto his bed in a random position. His eyes closed perfectly, and he slept soundly all night.
Sunlight shone through the hole in his room. His eyes opened and woke his body. Blank slapped his head. He shook it quickly and stood up, looking at the clock. "7 AM."
Blank immediately cleaned himself in the morning. After finishing, he made coffee with bread for breakfast. This had become his routine.
Blank took the coffee and brewed it. He sat on a chair with a hard wooden table in his rental.
His eyes looked at the daily schedule. Blank remembered last night Viera's manager sent him a message. He immediately opened it and read.
[From Manager Viera]
[Schedule for 'NGNL Collaboration Event']
[Location: Chean A City for 3 days, Sweas Village for 2 days, Bunta Ferry for 2 days near Italea Beach]
[Models: Viera - Brand Ambassador NGNL, Emma Natasya - Child Artist]
[Companions: Erna - Viera's Manager, Lauran - Emma's Manager, Willie and Novan - Tour Guides]
[Bodyguards: Boyka, Leon]
[Media Team: Kaelan (prospective), Robert, Navas, Lirie]
Blank read carefully. (This is an interesting offer. I didn't expect Viera to contact me.)
He leaned back. (Is this for real?) But his heart was still hesitant, thinking about last night's incident with Mr. Son. He rested his forehead on both palms on the table. (The important thing is I handle my name, right?)
His fingers began typing a message on the screen.
[Alright, I will join this collaboration event. Thank you for the offer.]
10 minutes passed. Blank received a reply.
[Good. Please meet me in the NGNL lobby at 20:00 tonight for contract signing.]
Blank read it and held his chin. (This is the chance.)
[Alright, I will come.]
Blank leaned back and supported his head with both hands on the chair, following the direction of his reclining body.
[Alright, a new life begins]